Southwest out of N.O. for time being
By MIKE DUNNE
Advocate staff writer
While commercial flights resumed Tuesday to New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport, Southwest Airlines has alerted customers that it has canceled all scheduled service to and from the hurricane-ravaged city.
A spokeswoman for the airline said Southwest will likely be back at the airport, but it will give no time frame.
Employees who are willing to transfer to other Southwest operations are being given an opportunity to move where jobs are open, said Angela Vargo of Southwest. They would also be eligible to transfer back to New Orleans when operations there continue.
She also said that New Orleans' loss will not be Baton Rouge's gain. Metro Airport officials have long tried to woo the discount carrier here without success.
In a message to ticket holders and some travel agents, the airline said when the airport is again functioning as a commercial airport, and "passenger demand becomes clear," it will consider "building from 'scratch' a flight schedule. We suspect that schedule will initially offer very limited service. We expect passenger demand to dictate an increase in flights just as happens whenever we open a new city. We have no way of knowing when this will happen, and it's not fair to our customers or employees to predict a set timeframe," the company said.
When asked if it was possible that Southwest would not return to New Orleans at some point in the future, Vargo said, "Not at all. There are a lot of factors (in returning). We just don't have a timeframe as to when that will be and when we will be able to ramp it up.
"We are carefully evaluating all the factors" that will dictate when the company will return, Vargo said.
She said there are several jobs available throughout Southwest's network and workers who could transfer "obviously, would be welcomed back" to New Orleans when the carrier returns.
There has been "no discussion of shifting our operation" to Baton Rouge, Vargo said.
